A good
understanding of a country may help you to make the most of
your trip by giving you an insight into the minds of the nationals.
That is the purpose of this series.

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Getting to know... Turks

Turks are the most hospitable people in the world. They are open,
generous, and love to stuff you with delectable Turkish food...
They smile when foreigners break customs, but expect their own
to know the rules of proper decorum.

Keyfi roughly translated means “merriment,” or
“pleasure.” But in Turkey ‘keyfi’ is more a
way of life: sitting in outdoor cafes sipping endless glasses of tea
served in tiny tulip-shaped glasses, discussing everything from politics
to the constantly shifting weather; drinking raki, the local anise-flavored
liquour with your favorite fresh fish; plates of mezeler (appetizers)
filling the table; clapping and singing along to their favorite songs,
women and men rising to their feet swiveling their hips and waving white
napkins in line dances, shoulders bouncing.

Personality. Turks are
hot-blooded! They love big. They entertain big. They celebrate big.
They are always touching one another, hugging, petting, leaning up against
their family members and good friends. But when they get angry they’re
just as fiery. They yell and gesticulate and discuss their situation
with everyone. Then they forgive, hug, kiss, and make up.

Foreigners. Turks are
the most hospitable people in the world. They are open, generous, and
love to stuff you with delectable Turkish food. Turks have an acceptance
of foreign behaviour that doesn’t always extend to their own people.
They smile when foreigners break customs, but expect their own to know
the rules of proper decorum.

Time. Turks, except for
business people, tend to view time as a fluid concept. Most business
appointments between the higher-ups take place on time. Most friends
show up late. An invitation for dinner usually means that people show
up an hour past the appointed time. Clubs with live music start to fill
up at around 11 p.m. Likewise for meyhanes, Turkish restaurant-live
music bars where appetizers overfill the table, raki continuously pours
into glasses, and people animatedly sing along with the performers or
leap to their feet in hip-swiveling joy.

Shoe. Take them off!!!
Never enter a home without taking off your shoes. Most homes are equipped
with a lineup of terlik (house slippers) in every imaginable size, colour
and style. Remove your shoes, slip on a pair of house shoes and leave
the dirt of the street behind.

Language. Turkish is
a maddening language to learn. However, that said, learning a few key
phrases will bring much appreciation and accolades from the Turks. Unlike
the French, Turks never expect foreigners to know their language and
will go out of their way to try and accommodate them.

Politics. Ataturk is
the father of Turkey. Never, under any circumstances, joke, poke fun
at, or in way insinuate that Kemal Ataturk was anything less than a
God.

Religion. Turks are Muslim.
However, most of them are the most relaxed Muslims in the Muslim world.
Ataturk banned the veil, separated religion and government, and set
the tone for an open-minded and liberal faith that extends warmth toward
those of other religions and beliefs. Parts of Istanbul, the western
Aegean coast, and the Mediterean are used to catering to tourists and
their own citizens have adopted many European ways of life. The East
of Turkey is more religious, but still the people are kind and relaxed.

Drink. Tea, tea, tea and
more tea. In my first year living in Istanbul I was amazed to see the
post office employees all come to a complete halt as the tea bearer
brought each a tiny glass of hot amber tea. Now there are Starbucks
and other coffee chains in Istanbul offering other forms of caffeination.
In the evenings beer and raki are consumed as Turks enjoy their night.

Food. For carnivores there’s
an endless variety of kebabs, stews (guvech), beef, lamb, and chicken
dishes. As it’s a Muslim country, you won’t find any pork
products. For the vegetarian, there are numerous mezeler (appetizers)
that are all vegetarian and quite delicious. Lentil soup (mercimek corba)
is a staple as is kuru fasulye (stewed white beans in tomato sauce.)

Families. In Turkey families
come first. The family unit is intact and flourishing here. Grown children
usually remain at home until they marry and extended families spend
much time together.

Sport. One of the first
questions a Turk will ask you is: “Who’s your favourite
team?” They are wild about football, or as we Americans call it:
soccer. At the end of a successful match it’s not unusual
for people to drive around honking their horns, chanting their team’s
jingle, shouting and parading about triumphantly.

Humour. Turks love a
good joke. You can see them slapping their hands together, one hand
rising up in the air and saying: “Cok komic, ya?” (It’s
really funny, isn’t it?). Don’t take offense. Usually Turks
are laughing with you and not at you. They love to poke fun and their
favorite character is Temel, a dim-witted Black Sea man who always manages
to misinterpret everything.

Driving. Don’t
do it unless it’s absolutely necessary. Driving in Istanbul is
not for the faint of heart. Traffic is a nightmare, with cars swerving
into different lanes and drivers often heading into incoming traffic.
Take a bus, a taxi, the Metro, or a dolmus. Trust me on this.

Fashion. Fashion in Istanbul
varies wildly. In the European streets of Beyoglu, you can find Mango,
United Colors of Benetton and other international chains. A
fifteen minute bus ride away, in the neighborhood of Carsamba, and you’ll
find woman still covered head-to-toe in a black tent-like garb. Know
your neighborhood. If you’re in a westernized section of Istanbul,
normal western dress is fine. If you’re considering a foray into
a more conservative area, please dress accordingly. For entrance into
a mosque, women must be covered to the knees. Bare shoulders are unacceptable.
Shoulders, upper arms, and cleavage must be hidden by your clothes.
For entrance into most mosques, women must also cover their heads. Men
cannot enter in shorts or sleeveless shirts.

Greeting. The most common
greeting is a kiss on both cheeks between both men and women, or at
least a touching of cheek to cheek. This is the greeting for woman to
woman, man to man, as well as woman to man. So, if you’re a man,
don’t get homophobic. It’s the norm.

Queuing. Basically Turks
don’t queue, they bunch. My first time at the ATM machine I was
totally alarmed when the woman behind me moved right up to my side,
and nestled up to me. However, I quickly relaxed when I realized her
motives were purely helpful. Sensing my confusion, she demonstrated
how to use the machine. At banks, post offices and other offices, people
tend to clump together. Lately, in the more westernized areas, banks
have installed the western take a number and wait your turn systems.
I kind of miss the old clumping.

Of Greatest Importance.
Smile. Turks respond to a smile. The bureaucracy here is brain-numbing,
the traffic is ridiculous and while wages are low, prices have become
high. Despite all this keyfi rules supreme. Eat, drink, sing, dance,
and enjoy! This is Turkey where enjoyment of life is the utmost goal.

One last word of warning after this insight — be careful of the
stereotypes! Whilst you can always draw a thread of similarity between
the nationals of a country, the extent and size of that thread may vary
widely!

The River

Gary Paulsen

Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for 54 days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again so the military can learn the survival techniques. But it all goes wrong again!

Pompeii: A Novel

Robert Harris

Roman engineer Attilius rushes to repair an aqueduct in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, which, in A.D. 79, is getting ready to blow its top. Attilius meets Corelia, the defiant daughter of a vile real estate speculator, and later fights his way back to Pompeii in an attempt to rescue her. The volcanology is well researched and the plot keeps this impressive novel moving along toward its exciting finale.

False Memory

Dean Koontz

It's a fear more paralyzing than falling. More terrifying than absolute darkness. More horrifying than anything you can imagine. It's the one fear you cannot escape, no matter where you hide. It's the fear of yourself. It's real. It can happen to you. And facing it can be deadly.

Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare

Stephen Greenblatt

A young man without wealth, connections, or university education moves to London. In a remarkably short time he becomes the greatest playwright not just of his age but of all time. He recklessly mingles vulgar clowning and philosophical subtlety. How is such an achievement to be explained?